Don't Leave Me
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Kujo brings Victorique a new book, but as a storm draws near, a slight misunderstanding arises and he leaves her. How can she make it through this cold, stormy night? KujoxVictorique. Fluff.


**After The Wolf And The Squirrel, I'm back with more Gosick fluff to share! I do hope you enjoy :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gosick :( depressed ):**

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><p>Don't Leave Me<p>

Kujo sighed as he looked out the window from his prison of a classroom.

The sky was dark blue and the sunlight was dim, partially blocked by clouds that were mixes of white and gray, suggesting a storm that coming evening.

He had been staring blankly out that window for the past half hour, as he always did near the end of the school day, eager to get out of the building and make his way over to the library tower. Already bored of the sky, he let his gaze wander in the other direction toward the clock on the wall, ticking as slowly as ever when he decided to watch it.

He always got impatient at this time of day, but today he was even more so than usual, because he had a special gift for his little Golden Fairy. _I think she'll enjoy it_. He thought as he pulled the book out from his desk's compartment. It was one of his own personal favorites from home, and it had just recently dawned upon him that he should share it with Victorique, considering how no matter how rough she was with his other offerings, she never once mistreated a book.

It contained some of his favorite fairytales and folklore from his childhood days, and he knew it would stave off her boredom for at least a day.

At last, the bell chimed and the students began to file out of the room. Kujo jumped up from his seat, gathered his book, and rushed out the door, ignoring a holler from Avril. _Sorry, but today I'm really excited to show her this_. He thought as he rushed outside. He was met with a cool gust of air that had him scrambling to secure his hat. The clouds were darker than they had been, but still white enough to tell him they would be keeping the rain off for a while longer.

His jog quickly turned to a run as the library came fully into view and he reached the entrance and immediately began climbing the labyrinth they called a staircase; he was not even out of breath by the time he reached the top.

"Victorique!" He called out happily as the botanical garden came into view. It took him less than a second to spot her, as though he somehow always knew exactly where she was going to be after getting to know her so well.

She was sitting in her usual spot on the floor, her black dress pooled out about her in a circle of frill and lace. A single book rested in her lap, opened to the exact halfway point; this was a sign Kujo knew, the sign that said she had already read this book and knew every word of it and merely opened it in the first place to see how long it took her to find the exact middle page of it.

In other words, she was insanely bored.

Upon his arrival, she raised her head slowly and fixed her gorgeous emerald eyes on him, her beautiful golden hair highlighting her small form against her dark dress.

"I was starting to think it was about time you came blundering up those stairs, Kujo." She greeted him, sarcastic and snobbish as always, but with a good-hearted smile that he knew all too well.

"Huh?" he complained, trudging over to her. "This was probably the quickest I've gotten here all week! I ran all the way here and didn't even talk to anyone along the way!"

"Are you going to keep making excuses or are you going to free me from this crushing boredom that is about to smother my oxygen supply and suffocate me until I die?"

"...W...Wow. That was pretty harsh. Was today _that_ bad?" He asked, blinking in shock and then in sympathy as he sat down beside her.

"As a matter of fact, it was." She huffed, slamming the book closed with a _thump_ that sent her bangs floating up. "The section of books that was on my re-reading list today happened to be composed of 23 novels, 19 of which I have already memorized, and the other 4 which were nothing but chicken scratch and the drabbles of some old men who had nothing better to do with their time than waste paper and ink." She stated matter-of-factly.

"W...Well then I guess that's good to hear, considering I've brought you a new book today as a gift." He said, pulling out the volume. He held back a chuckle as she whipped her head around to face him, her eyes sparkling like a puppy's as she extended her hands excitedly. "Hold on! I'm only lending it to you, okay?" He clarified.

"Whatever, just hand it over quickly!" She exclaimed. "My vision's already getting dimmer!"

Kujo sighed as he handed her the book, which she regarded as some foreign object, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"Hm? What's this?" She wondered as she opened the pages and lifted the book to her face, inhaling deeply. "It has a scent unlike any other I've smelled from a book from this continent."

"Continent? I think that's a little extreme..." he laughed, scratching the back of his head. She pouted and glared at him. "But you're actually right. I took this book from home with me when I came here." He informed her. Victorique made an incredulous, excited sound before proceeding to flip through the novel.

"Never before have I read something like this from Japan. It's so unique to those of Sauville or France. The pages are thinner, the text is thicker, and the border designs on the cover are more intricate." She then took her eyes off of her new book for a moment to look at Kujo directly, a genuine smile on her face. "You've done well, Kujo. I commend you." She informed him briefly before bowing her head to lock her eyes with the text before her.

"I humbly accept your praise, your highness." He grinned.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she responded, not taking her eyes off the pages. "In my realm, you're still but a mere joker."

"I see." He chortled, shrugging. "But you were right about what you said before." He noted, looking up at the sky, past the paintings on the ceiling. "It _is_ getting dimmer. I suppose the storm will be here pretty soon." From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw her shoulders stiffen ever so slightly, but her expression remained as stoic as ever as she flipped another page. He was about to ask her about it when he noticed how ruffled and knotted her hair was. "Victorique," he sighed. "Were you rolling around on the floor again?"

"What would you rather have me do during the hours of the day when nothing else can keep me from dying of boredom?"

"I don't know. You could try working on your singing, for one thing." He suggested and she shot him a puzzled look. But before she could ask him what was wrong with her singing voice, he changed the subject. "L-Let me brush your hair for you." He offered, standing and walking over to her cabinet and opening the top drawer to pull out a hair brush.

He sat back down behind her and carefully removed her black lace headband. Victorique bowed her head a little more as he began running the brush through her thick tresses, pretending that she was engrossed in her book when in fact she was allowing herself to enjoy being fussed over.

All her life she had been locked away in a cold, dusty tower with no one to care for her, the mother who would have naturally done so being forced away from her daughter. Even upon arrival at the Academy, she had been expected to make herself appear presentable before being placed in the tower and not privileged to be bothered with.

She recalled several times in her dollhouse of a home, when Cecil had taught her how to freshen and clean herself up properly, but never before had she been tended to like this.

Her shoulders shivered slightly as Kujo placed his left hand on her back and proceeded to run the brush through her hair with his right. She braced herself, thinking the tangle of knots would be yanking at her roots roughly, however to her surprise, Kujo's touch was extremely gentle and comforting.

After a few moments, she finally got used to his warm touch and let her shoulders relax. Her eyes closed without her consent and a small smile crossed her lips as she grew accustomed to the lulling rhythm of his movements. Her mind was just about to slip off into blissful unconsciousness when his voice brought her back.

"You have really lovely hair, Victorique. It's so long and soft, and it's such a vibrant color very rarely seen back in my country. You should take better care of it." He scolded lightly. A small blush crept across his cheeks as he voiced his words; he had thought all of these things many times before, but this was the first time he had ever voiced them aloud to her, and he was glad that she was facing away from him at the moment.

"Stop quibbling and finish what you've started, Kujo." She said, trying to sound uninterested when in truth her lips curved upward into a smile and her heart fluttered slightly.

"Yes, yes." He answered, running the brush through her hair several more times. "There. All done." He announced proudly as he tentatively ran his palm down a section of her tresses. The girl held back a shriek of surprise as he did this and desperately tried to get her bearings, as she felt his fingers lightly slip her headband back into place. As Kujo got up to return the brush to its drawer, she leaned forward over the book more, her hair spilling out over her shoulders and concealing her in a golden cage.

"Hm? Victorique, what-"

"N-N-Nothing!" she cut him off, shying away from him. "This book is very interesting." She blurted out, hoping to change the subject, which, in knowing his simple-mindedness as well as she did, worked out quite nicely.

"Really?" He sounded so delighted that she felt a flicker of warmth and amusement rise inside her chest. "I'm so happy you like it. You can keep it as long as you like. Just make sure to give it back."

"Baka Kujo. Of course I know that." She straightened up and hesitantly flashed her gaze over to where he stood, looking up at the clouds beyond the glass.

"I think I'm going to head back before it starts to rain." He declared. "Here," he offered her his hand. "I'll walk you back home first."

"I-It's fine." She replied quickly enough so that the stammer was hardly noticeable. "I really just want to finish this story about the turtle princess first, then I'll head back."

"Urashima, huh?" Kujo mused. "That is a good story. But can't you just read it when you get home?" He queried.

"I'm almost finished so I might as well just finish it here." She said tersely.

"Hm. Alright then, I'll wait until you're finished." He decided.

"No!" She snapped all too quickly and loudly. A slightly hurt expression pained his face but she forced herself to look away. "You should just go back now. I'll go in a little while."

"But-" he tried to reason with her, but her sharp remark told him she did not want to bother with him. "I understand." He mumbled, his head bowed like a faithful dog just beaten by his master for no reason. "I'll go." He turned his back without looking at her and headed for the stairs. "Good night."

Victorique felt a stabbing pain pierce her chest like a knife to the heart.

"Kujo-" when she attempted to call him back, her voice was broken in a tiny sob as her breath hitched in her throat. A distant roll of thunder made her jump and raise her head to look at the sky as the garden and library turned dark with shadows.

When she looked back, prepared to call his name clearer this time, Kujo had vanished, the distant echoes of footsteps bouncing off the walls with the thunder.

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><p>An odd sensation of deja vu washed over Kujo as he stared out the window from his room.<p>

After he had taken a shower, without even noticing, he had changed back into his uniform instead of his sleepwear, and it was now clear that he both consciously and subconsciously wanted to go back outside.

The rain had started to fall just as he had reached the school building on his way back from the library, and now it was hissing furiously against his windowpanes. The shadows of the clouds mixed with those of the night made a completely dark scene outside of his window; not even the lights on the building nor the guidepost lights had any affect whatsoever against this storm.

As he sat at his desk, lit with only a lamp, Kujo wondered if he really should go back. _"_She obviously didn't want me to stay." He mumbled bitterly to himself. "I wonder what's got her so worked up _this_ time." He sighed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table and putting his chin in his hands. His brown eyes closed briefly and his sense of hearing was enhanced as sight deteriorated. Past the hissing of the rain, he could hear the wind howling angrily, but his mind made him hear something other than the wind.

_It...sounds like wolves howling. No, wait. It's just one. And it's not howling. It sounds like it's...crying..._

An extremely loud blast of thunder following his reverie caused his eyes to fly open and he gave a short shout before the light went out and he was left alone in complete and utter darkness. He was filled with momentary terror, suddenly thinking that every creak and sound was something menacing, stalking him. The wind was too loud, the rain was too heavy...

Suddenly the light flickered back on and Kujo was on his feet. He did not bother to grab his hat, for he knew it would not last long in the gale, and quickly exited his room, heading for the doors of the building. He made his way there undisturbed and, taking an umbrella from the rack, opened the doors and slipped outside.

As he trudged over the soaked earth, trying to see as clearly as possible as her ran ahead, only one thought ran through his mind. _Victorique. _

Racing through the maze of bushes that led to her house, Kujo finally arrived at the entrance to the doll house-like place and knocked loudly several times. "Victorique! Are you there? Oy! Victorique!" He turned the knob to find it unlocked and cursed under his breath before dashing inside, dropping the umbrella on the floor. "Forgive me for intruding."

He grunted as he threw open a closet door and strained to reach a thick blanket folded inside. Throwing it under his arm, he ran back to the door, grabbed the umbrella and raced off toward the library. He saw a bright flash of jagged lightning break the sky apart for a split second before it was rapidly followed by another huge blast of thunder, so loud it caused Kujo to shout again. "Now was that really necessary?" he yowled into the wind, frustrated at the storm and angry at himself all at the same time. _I can't believe how stupid I am! How could I just leave her like that?_ He yelled at himself inwardly as he struggled to enter the library building.

Once more, he let the umbrella drop as he carried the blanket with him in the direction he knew all too well the stairs were in. Without slowing his pace, he raced up the steps, two at a time, despite the darkness; by now, he knew this labyrinth like the back of his hand.

He reached the top faster than he ever had before to find it completely shrouded in darkness, only briefly lit by flashes of lightning. His eyes followed the pale glow of white from the checkered floor to find his book of lore lying in the same spot his companion had sat in not too long ago that evening.

Cursing again, Kujo raced toward the only place he knew she would resort to going. He stopped and let the blanket fall to the ground; he could hear her whimpers from the other side of the two small, cabinet doors.

"Victorique." He spoke loudly and clearly against the sounds of the storm.

Leaning down, he grabbed the handles and pulled them open to reveal the hardly visible form of the small, Golden Fairy, huddled into a tight ball, knees hugged to her chest. When the doors opened suddenly, she gasped aloud and her head snapped up to look at him, sheer terror clearly visible in her eyes, even now.

"Victorique!" He exclaimed, taking in her disheveled appearance. Even the lamp she kept in the cabinet had failed to serve its purpose against the tumult, but he could still see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"K-Kujo-" her voice was choked and pitiful, cut off at the end in a whimper as thunder blasted again as she buried her face back into her hands. She the raised her head again to look up at him. "Kujo!" She wailed, throwing herself into his arms. He embraced her tightly and easily noticed how badly she was trembling, from pure fear and from the sobs raking her body.

"Victorique...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he murmured helplessly.

He slid down to his knees and she collapsed with him, her arms locking around his neck as he pulled her closer. _She's always been alone. Always. Like this... All those years of her life, locked away without anyone to comfort her... She probably didn't even know what storms or thunder were for a long period of time. She must have been so scared whenever lighting flashed or thunder rumbled, shaking that tower, making her think it would cave in at any second. It must have been so dark... Even now, when she knows it can't hurt her...Her heart's pounding so hard... _

He held her for a few moments, squeezing her tighter to him each time the thunder struck as she continued to cry. Her small body eventually ceased it's convulsive shaking and Kujo reached to his side for the blanket as Victorique hesitantly let her arms fall away from his shoulders. He draped the blanket around her shivering form before pulling her back in to him, gently rubbing his hands up and down her back in slow, calming motions.

_Of course she didn't want me to see her like this. She was probably so scared she couldn't even get back to her house before it started raining. _The pouring rain continued to pelt against the glass overhead as lightning flashed again. Another tremendous blast of thunder shook the library and Victorique yelped, pressing herself closer to Kujo. He found her hands and held them both in one of his while his other stayed wrapped around her waist.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm right here." He murmured into her ear over and over again. _These were the words she never got to hear when she needed to most. _ He realized. _How terrible_. He remembered how his father would scold him when he was younger for cowering at the sound of thunder, but his mother would always sooth him. _But Victorique was never allowed to have that kind of contact from her mother. How cruel. How terrible..._ His anger in thinking about it caused him to grip her hands tighter and she slowly raised her head, her watery eyes meeting his in the darkness. "I-I'm sorry-" He tried to apologize.

"No...it's fine..." she whispered, barely audible over the din. "I..." she cringed at the sound of another blast. "I could never overcome...my fear of storms...I just remember that tower..." her voice wavered as she gasped out the words. "The rain came in...t-through the window...it was always so...cold..." she could say no more as her voice failed her and she buried her face in his shirt, her hands trembling in his. He pulled her as close to him as possible, leaving no space between them.

"It's okay now." He repeated, leaning forward to rest his chin on her head.

"K-Kujo..." her voice was so quiet he barely heard it.

"Yes?" he prompted gently.

"Don't leave me. Please." She begged.

"Of course I won't." He kissed her hair.

Those words seemed to give her the relief and comfort she needed; her tense shoulders relaxed in his embrace and she let out a long, shaky sigh, trying to calm herself.

"Thank you..." she sniffled. Kujo smiled as he kissed her forehead this time. Her unsteady breathing finally began to slow, as did her frantic heartbeat.

"Hey, should I tell you the end to that story?" He asked.

She was silent for a moment before she nodded her head once. "Mm."

"Okay then." Kujo commenced his recital of the tale, but as he had expected, it had not been three minutes before her breathing had deepened and slowed and her hands went limp with sleep.

He hugged her closer still as he listened to the thunder begin to roll away.

"Sweet dreams, my Golden Princess." He whispered.

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><p><strong>AN: **These two forever and ever and ever. I love them.****

**I must apologize for the senseless fluff, but it's probably what I do best :3**

**Hope you liked it!**

**Please review! **


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